The Times' Dodgers reporters give you all the news on the boys in blue

If hits are going to continue to be in short supply for the Dodgers, they had best make them count.

On a cool Tuesday night, they made their first hit the only one that mattered when Matt Kemp crushed a two-run homer in the first inning.

With right-hander Hiroki Kuroda again in complete command, the Dodgers made that little outburst hold up on the way to a 3-0 victory over the Brewers, snapping a three-game losing streak.

Kemp followed a two-out walk to Andre Ethier in the first inning by sending his team-high eighth home run over the right-field wall.

Milwaukee left-hander Randy Wolf shut the Dodgers down the rest of the night. The Dodgers finished with eight hits.

Kemp had been 0 for 10 when he hit his home run, and 0 for 5 with five strikeouts lifetime against Wolf.

Kuroda (5-3) threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings, holding the Brewers to six hits. He walked two and struck out seven.

It was his second consecutive strong outing. In his last two starts, Kuroda has pitched 14 2/3 innings without giving up a run, while striking out 15.

On a minor historic note, in the eighth inning he was called for the first balk of his four-year career.

The Dodgers made it a 3-0 game in the eighth off reliever Mike McClendon. Juan Uribe singled, and with two out, rookie Jerry Sands doubled to right-center to drive him home. Of Sands’ 15 hits this season, eight have been doubles.

The Dodgers had only one other serious scoring opportunity, loading the bases with two outs in the fourth. But Jamey Carroll bounced into a fielder’s choice, leaving the Dodgers three for 31 with runners in scoring position.

Carroll is batting .311, but is just two for 22 with runners in scoring position.

Right-hander Matt Guerrier -- not Vicente Padilla -- came on to pitch the ninth and earn his first save as a Dodger, even though he had thrown an inning Monday.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Matt Kemp watches his two-run home run clear the fence during the first inning of the Dodgers' 3-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday. Credit: Chris Carlson / Associated Press